Breastfeeding your baby when you’ve got older children to look after can sometimes be a handful : your attention is split between the children and toddlers demand a little more focus than you can sometimes manage with a baby latched on. So to enjoy a stress free Easter holiday, we’ve come up with some top ideas.
1. Plan a day of adventure.
The Easter holidays offer some great family friendly days out, giving the older children some time to run free or enjoy a supervised activity. Find a selection of local attractions that you can pick from dependent on the weather. Look for castles, parks, museums, aquariums, farm/safari parks, zoos or just a free adventure playground. The majority of family friendly attractions offer a selection of Easter based activities as part of the entry fee during the holidays whether it's an Easter Egg Hunt or a craft session making Easter Bunnies! Pick one within 30-40 mins travel to keep journey boredom to a minimum. And choose one with a cafe attached for a spot of tea & cake when baby needs a feed.
Look to your local Tourist Board or follow these links for some ideas of places to visit:
National Trust for Wales, England and Northern Ireland
English Heritage for days out in England
CADW days out in Wales
The National Trust for Scotland for attractions in Scotland
Visit Scotland attractions to visit in Scotland
2. In car entertainment for the journey
Make the journey as stress free as possible by having a selection of singalong CDs to hand. You may be driven slightly mad by repetitive nursery rhymes or TV theme tunes but your children will have a ball! Otherwise opt for an in car DVD player, hand held game console or tablet with their favourite tv show or game to keep them entertained.
3. Playbag
When you need to sit and breastfeed baby, there's nothing worse than your excitable toddler running off mid feed. Counteract this by packing each child a backpack of goodies which will keep them sat still and focussed for short periods of time. If you're unsure what to pack, we suggest an activity style colouring book, plain paper, crayons, pencils, stickers and favourite toy like a doll or car. If you've got a more 'active' child, then a travel size game of threading, dominoes or magnetic fishing may be better suited for keeping them occupied. Sometimes just the novelty of a new packet of stickers or matchbox car can distract your child long enough for you to latch on & breastfeed in peace... for a few minutes at least!
4. Mummy essentials
In addition to your nappy bag essentials, ensure you include antibacterial hand gel plus a small first aid kit in case your toddler has an accident. Include some small water bottles and snacks for you all. To keep up with your tot hands free, remember to pack a sling or carrier for baby or a buggy if you've got lots of things to carry. We also advise keeping a set of spare clothes and a hand towel in the car for "just in case".
5. Picnic
It's so nice to picnic when the sun is shining, laying out a blanket and making it all look idyllic... but if you're travelling alone with your children, plan for the unexpected. Keep everything in the one cool bag and take out items as you need - you never know when you will suddenly have to chase after your errant toddler or run them to the loo!
6. Clear boundaries for exploration
There's nothing more stressful than heading to a local attraction and worrying about losing your children off in different directions. Giving them clear boundaries and allowing them freedom within those parameters should mean they will happily flop down for a rest when you need to feed their baby brother or sister. Clearly tell them where and where not they can roam and have them stick together within your sight.
7. Dress the part
When you're breastfeeding a baby and have older children to contend with, we find it's best to dress for the part. A comfy pair of trousers and flat shoes paired with one of our nursing tops can offer you the best solution for breastfeeding with ease, wherever you find yourself, with as much discretion as you chose. We've got several flattering styles in an array of colours, come and see which one you love the most. This is our favourite for Spring - Sweetheart Nursing Top with flattering gathers across the body, easy life up nursing access and just £30 with Free Standard Delivery.
8. Nursing on the go with a sling
Pop your little one in a sling and use the sling's guidelines for nursing on the go. With baby tucked inside the carrier, no one will be any the wiser that you're breastfeeding your baby hands free. If you've got a nursing top with easy lift up nursing access from just under the bust, you'll be able to feed with ease when breastfeeding on the go without exposing your bare back or tummy. It may take a little practice at first but once you've sussed it, you'll find yourself with a new sense of hands free freedom, especially useful if you've got a toddler too. Need more advice on nursing in a sling? Check out our blog "Breastfeeding whilst Babywearing"
Happy Easter break everyone, hope you have lots of adventures!
We're starting a campaign which aims to inspire & empower more women to breastfeed with confidence! Supported by a monthly GIVEAWAY and Breastfeeding Cards, we want to encourage more mums to #BreastfeedWithEase #NurseInStyle
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